300 covers
by Deadderson
Summary: Modern AU; Gajeel's day didn't start out the way he wanted, but thanks to his cute neighbor Levy, his day might end far better than he'd ever hoped for.
1. 300 Covers

Part one of a series of one shot stories in a modern AU!

Gajeel Redfox wished that he had never rolled out bed today, cursing his luck and his need to keep his job. He still had the headache from last night's buzz drilling a nice little bitch button in his temple, and he had his coworkers to thank for that.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," he growled when he finally looked at the clock that refused to shut off. He barely registered the time when his phone went off, loudly blaring the tune he'd set for work. Groggily he picked up, grunting as he smashed to snooze button again.

"Hey Redfox, we need you in early today," droned the hated voice of his supervisor. "Our morning cook didn't show again, and we are popping." Gajeel sighed, then grumbled that he'd show up as soon as humanly possible it took to get his ass out of bed. When he hung up, he considered briefly ignoring the request and going back to sleep, he wasn't due in till later that night anyways. Sighing, he pushed himself up and into the bathroom, fighting the hangover that threaten to upset him.

Finally an hour later he was feeling well enough to make the journey there, and was about to leave when his phone buzzed again. It was from the metal shop where he and some of his buddies spent their free time working on random shit. His friend, Laxus, was the grandson of the owner, thus most of his equipment was on discount. Laxus himself was on the line, his voice excited about something.

"Hey, remember that part we've been waiting for the last ten months?" he asked. Gajeel stopped, then grinned.

"It's in today?" he asked, excitement growing in his own voice.

"Yeah it is, get over here as soon as you can!"

Gajeel whooped, eager now to get his shift over with so he could get over to the shop and play. He sprinted down the stairs of his apartment, jumping every third to fourth stair. He was in the midst of jumping again when all of a sudden a flash of bright cerulean blue popped into his view, and he couldn't avoid it. He collided with it and they crashed into the stairwell, the object squeaking in surprise underneath him. Startled he glanced down and found that he was hovering over his tiny neighbor, levy McGarden from the third floor. He usually never greeted her like this, with his hands braced on either side of her head and their faces just grazing each other. As it were, she had been wincing and gasping, and he felt a sudden twinge of guilt.

"Shit, sorry! Didn't see ya," he said, pushing himself up into a kneeling position. Only then did he realize that their legs were entangled, and her hands went to the back of her head, hissing slightly. "You ok, shorty?" he asked, genuinely concerned now. He reached for her when she nodded, slowly sitting up and rubbing the back of her head.

"I'm fine, but remind me to be on the watch out for stampeding elephants," she replied, sardonically. Then she chuckled, shaking her head gently. He felt bad now, clearly she had been in some sort of pain. He helped her up, only offering that he'd been in a rush as an excuse. She only brushed it off, saying that she'd heard him coming down and should've been more alert.

After an awkward moment, they both remembered that they had been in a rush, and Gajeel offered to walk her down. She giggled, wincing a little when she shook her head too hard when she nodded. Again the subtle twinge of guilt washed over him, even as she joked about being on the lookout for stampeding elephants.

As they left the building, they parted ways, and Gajeel looked after her retreating figure for a little. He couldn't remember when she moved in, but it had been fairly recent. He saw her a couple of times, greeted her when she saw him, but didn't think too much more about it. Not at least till today. He shrugged as he began to make the trek to work, not relishing the headache he was going to have just trying to deal. Glancing one more time over his shoulder, he started when he saw her look back at him and blushed, whirling around and darted off. 'Dafuq?' he wondered, slightly blushing himself. Maybe she had a concussion, he mused.

…

Levy winced again as she thunked her head against the window pane of the bus, sighing as they traveled across the bridge into downtown. She couldn't get the morning's event out of her head, blushing when she remembered how close he was to her, or the way his long hair swished over her face, smelling like shampoo. She could've sworn she felt the metallic touch of his piercings graze her cheek, and the thought made her heart thump.

She'd only been there for about six months after moving here for college, and she had noticed him right away. He seemed so different from the people she knew back home, and was intriguing to say in the least. He'd been trudging past her floor one evening when she finally introduced herself, seeming to surprise him. He had stared at her for a second, making her wonder if he wasn't used to this. But then he grabbed her outstretched hand and shook it, gently gripping it before grunting out his name and making his way upstairs.

The next time they met he seemed more upbeat and alert, much to her relief. She had been checking her mail and bumped into him when she turned around too quickly. Her forehead had smacked solidly into his chest and she bounced back like a rubber ball. "Gihihi, careful shorty," he had said, much to her dismay. She planted her fists on to her hips and huffed.

"For someone who's a giant you sure do have the grace of a ninja," she sputtered back, glaring at him. He quirked his brow at her, then leaned over her to unlock his own mailbox. She stifled a squeak when his jacket brushed too close to her face, and she held her mail up to her chest. It smelled of metal and rain, and a slow blush began to creep up on her cheeks. She glanced up to him, and to her surprise he was smirking at her. 'That jerk did that on purpose!' she thought, leaning back against the mailboxes as he slammed his box closed, mail in hand.

After that, she couldn't stop thinking of him. She rarely saw him during the day, and if she saw him at night, he looked so tired and beat her heart tugged. But nevertheless, she smiled and greeted him, even if he rarely responded to her. More often than not she had to tell herself that he was too busy thinking of stupid stuff.

But today was completely random, she had just walked out of the hallway when she heard a thunderous noise and yelling, and suddenly something hit her. She felt her head smack against the linoleum and saw stars. As she opened her eyes she was shocked to find Gajeel's eyes staring into her own. As he helped her up, suddenly speaking more than grunts and one word replies, she had to fight the blush that threatened to bloom on her face.

But she couldn't help grinning now, burrowing her nose into her scarf as the bus rolled to her stop. Even her headache couldn't stop her from bouncing into the library, humming happily.

…

Gajeel whirled about, biting his tongue in rage. He'd never thought he'd see the day where it was so chaotic at work where he nearly did a 180 and noped out of work. But he needed stable income, and he did like the cooking aspect of his job. However, everything else was a headache to deal with, such as a missing breakfast cook. Or the fact that his prep cook was more than an hour late, and it was looking more and more like he'd have to shoulder the brunt of the prep list again. To top it off, it looked like the closing staff from last night slacked off in cleaning as usual, thus someone was going to die tonight when they came in.

During his slow moments, his mind wandered to the blue haired girl he knocked over, and the twinge of guilt reared it's ugly head. He'd have to make it up to her somehow, but he was usually too busy or tired for even what he called his social life. He doubted if he could even make the shop today before they closed. Sighing, he quickly texted Laxus the news. His hangover was starting to slowly go away, and he'd managed to stuff some food into his mouth in between rushes. But there was still so much to do, and he didn't have to wait for long for the next rush to come in.

…

She'd been on her way to the grocery store when she spotted him on the streets, trudging through the crowds and looking exhausted. Her heart beating suddenly, she wasn't sure if she should greet him now or let him pass.

She had been teased endlessly at the library by her coworkers when she'd inadvertently mentioned to Lucy that she'd been literally crushed by her crush, and she couldn't really focus on her lessons at the college either. And now, he was about to pass her on the street. She struggled internally as he came closer, then sighed in defeat as he strode past her. 'Great attempt of saying hello,' she berated herself. Then her arm was pulled back slightly, and she squeaked as she was turned around.

It was Gajeel who had grabbed her, and was blushing slightly as he released her. "Uh, hey," he said, awkwardly. She stared at him in surprise; usually she was the one to greet him. She smiled, returning the greeting and trying to ignore the sudden thumping in her chest.

He rubbed the back of his head, unsure of what to say next. He hadn't expected to see her walking his way in the same day, nor was he expecting the sudden brilliant smile she showed him. He blushed a little bit, thankful that the dark hid it. 'Damn,' he thought. 'She's hella cute.'

"Uh, how's your head?" he asked, unsure of where to look now that he'd made that realization. He heard her giggle, and blushed. 'Even her laugh sounds adorable.'

"My heads okay for now, thanks!" she chirped, cocking her head and shrugging her petite shoulders. Gajeel's brain shorted out then, leaving him fumbling. How the flying hell did he not notice her before? Deciding to throw caution to the wind, he cleared his throat and asked, "Er, coffee?"

Her eyes widened in confusion, unsure of what he'd just asked. He was squirming a little bit, looking uncomfortable. He frowned, shrugging. "Coffee?" he tried again. shoving his hands in his pockets. A slow smile lit her face as realization set in, and she couldn't suppress the blush.

"Sure, I'm game if you are," she said, her heart racing with excitement. He grinned then, indicating the coffee shop just across the street.

It would be the start of many coffee dates.


	2. 300 Stars

Christmas special! Hope you enjoy :)

 _It started with a bang, a tangle on limbs, and a cup of coffee._

"So, you got any plans for the holidays?" Levy McGarden asked, sipping the hot mocha and peering at the man across the small table. He'd stopped slurping his drink and stared at her, his studded brows furrowing slightly.

They'd been dating for the last several months, and though they weren't "official" yet, they could both agree that they felt as though they were more than friends. What had started as a coffee date as an apology for knocking Levy over eventually grew into dinner dates, movies dates, and even simply hanging out wherever dates. Though they weren't official yet, they both had to agree that they were more than friends. Levy had secretly hoped that Gajeel would make a move soon, but she wasn't about to push the issue with him if he wasn't comfortable. Besides, she was content enough to know that he'd asked her out first, even if it was to make up for tripping over her. As the holidays were fast approaching however, she wondered if he'd want to hang with her on Christmas. She supposed that she'd have to make a decision soon, her mother had called her the other day to ask what she herself had planned for the holiday and invited her home if she wanted to visit. Of course she did, but she also wanted to hang out with him too.

"Hmm," he was saying now, catching her attention. "Probably working, then nothing special." He shrugged, returning his cup to his lips. Levy blinked, surprised, then realization set in.

"Ah, I suppose that would be the case, right?" she asked, smiling a bit embarrassingly. He nodded, quiet for a bit. He had told her not too long ago that he had no family that he wanted to spend time with, and hanging out with friends on their holidays was pretty awkward for him. So he usually opted to work on most holidays. It never bothered him too much, and the time spent at work made the day go by faster. Sometimes he even volunteered a double shift, just to stay away from his quiet and empty apartment.

"How about you?" he asked, nodding at her. She shrugged, then sighed. "My mom invited me home this year, but I'm not sure about going," she started, not looking at him. He made a hmpf sound, then drained the last of his coffee.

"Not sure why you don't want to, but you ought to at least say hi," he stated, placing the cup down with a tap. Even though he didn't like the holiday, he knew that she was excited for it, and should celebrate it the proper way.

"Oh, it's not that I don't want to," she said, shrugging and smiling awkwardly. "But I have a couple of reasons of why I'm debating whether or not going." He quirked an eyebrow curiously at her, prompting her to continue. But she grinned at him, stubbornly keeping her reasons secret. He smiled back, shaking his head at her. 'Fine,' he thought. 'Let her keep her secrets for now.'

After a few more minutes of small talk, Levy started and stared out of the window, eyes opening wide. "Omigosh," she breathed, her smile beaming brilliantly. Gajeel blushed, and turned to see what had made her glow like that. The first fluffy white flakes were floating down lazily outside of the coffee bar they frequented, and the day had already turned into night. He turned back to her, smirking.

"It's just snow, shrimp," he chuckled. She was like a kid, staring at it. She turned to him, blushing and smiling. "I've never seen snow like that," she admitted, hiding behind her now empty cup. He grinned, chuckling at her.

"You're such a kid," he teased, standing up and grabbing his jacket. Levy blushed, then pouted. "Hey, I'm not a kid for wanting to see snow," she huffed, crossing her arms and leaning back. She squeaked when he plopped her scarf over her head, smirking. She looked at him, confused. He quirked his head towards the door. "Don't you want a better look, shrimp?" he asked, chuckling at her surprised and gleeful gasp. She whipped on her scarf and jacket, not bothering with the mittens or the earmuffs that she had stashed in her bag.

She giggled excitedly as they walked into the snow, marveling at the large flakes that coated her cerulean hair and eyelashes. Gajeel's heart dropped into his gut as the gold light from the Christmas lights twinkled around her. He had the strange inclination to lean over her and kiss her, she was so mesmerizing. Then he started, blushing deeply as she obviously twirled in the snow. He had never liked the snow; it was too cold, could turn dirty, and made the trudge to work even more miserable than ever. But with Levy dancing in the snow, it was easier to tolerate it.

He was jolted out of his thoughts with a thump as Levy hugged him, grinning cheekily at him. "Gajeel, I've never seen anything so beautiful before," she giggled, blinking as the snow landed in her eyes. He smiled back warmly, wiping the snow from under her eyes gently with a calloused thumb. "Yeah, beautiful," he murmured, wrapping his other hand behind her back.

Levy blushed, suspecting that it wasn't the snow he was talking about. Was he leaning a little closer? She was sure that the snow was melting on her cheeks due to how warm she felt then. His thumb that was brushing her cheek was brushed her lip then, causing her heart to beat faster. The snow whirling around them seemed to casting a spell over them, drawing them closer together. She stood on tiptoe, pulling on his jacket to meet him the rest of the way, her parted lips ready to meet his. She could feel his breath on her lips when a sudden crash broke the spell, jolting them apart.

A drunkard was weaving around on the street nearby, screaming incoherently and throwing trash he pulled out of the garbage bins at the passersbys. Levy huffed, incredibly disappointed and irritated. 'So close!' she mentally wailed, pouting and gripping his jacket. She sighed as he tensed up, releasing her grip on him as she leaned back. To her utter surprise she was yanked back against his chest, held there securely as Gajeel yelled at the drunkard to douse himself. Suddenly self-conscious, she giggled as she wrapped her arms around his torso, hiding her face in his jacket.

…

Gajeel flopped down on his bed, drained of any energy. The night shift had been brutal on him with the holiday crowd flooding the restaurant. He groaned as his hand twinged, and he brought it up to his face to examine it better. Somehow he'd managed to burn his palm pretty damn good. The flesh looked pink and bubbly, and he winced as he opened and closed his hand. He'd been too busy to notice it much after he felt the first pains. He sighed, then got up to wrap his hand.

As he struggled with the wrap, he had a sudden vision of Levy gently blowing on the wound before wrapping it up, finishing up with a kiss on the bandage. His blush rose from his neck to his ears, and he fumbled the wrapping, scraping the burn in the process. He hissed, his senses returning to attend to his hand. But that little vision of her niggled at his mind, and he replayed it in his mind over and over. He groaned as he remembered how close he had been to kissing her the other night before rudely interrupted. He wondered how she was doing right now, subconsciously clenching the hand that had brushed her face before wincing, realizing that it had been the same hand he'd stupidly burned tonight.

Sighing, he looked at the time before returning to the bed. It was too late to text her, she had school in the morning. He hadn't seen her since the date, and he was beginning to miss her. The realization startled him, and he rolled into his pillow, groaning in frustration. When did he become so weak? He was fine being alone, he had been this way his whole life.

His thoughts turned back to the day he crashed into her, and the feeling that invaded his senses as she had winced in pain underneath him. He jolted upright, reaching for his phone. Before he could stop himself he tapped his message and hit send, only realizing immediately afterwards that she wouldn't see it till the morning. He sighed in defeat, tossing the phone on the floor before leaning back against the pillows, willing sleep to come.

He was surprised it buzzed loudly suddenly, and dove for it, dragging the sheets with him and jostling his sore hand. But it was forgotten immediately as he read her text.

…

The jingle had startled her from her reading, and she placed the book down as she reached for her phone. She hadn't been able to sleep well, and decided that maybe a few chapters would help bring sleepiness on.

'Mom knows I'm usually in bed by this time,' she thought, remembering the conversation from earlier. She had casually mentioned that she had been dating and her mom suddenly jumped on her. "Who is he? When did you meet? What does he do? Is he nice to you? TELL ME LEVY!"

Levy had leaned back, laughing at the intensity of the questioning that came her way. Her mother had been overprotective of her since day one, and up now she was still calling her at least once a week to check up on her. Chuckling, she regaled the story of how they met and how it turned into dating.

"So, are you two official then?" her mother asked, and Levy paused, unsure how to answer her. After a moment she sighed, then confessed, "I'd like us to be, because I feel like there's something there, but I don't want to alienate him." She drew her knees up and wrapped one arm around them.

"So why don't you come home and think about it here?" her mom prompted. Her daughter sighed, wondering how to explain to her mother that she wanted to hang out with him. Then she remembered that he had told her that she should go.

"Do you really like him, Levy?" her mother asked gently, sensing her hesitation. Levy smiled, gently speaking now. "Yeah, I really do, mama." She felt the warmth of her blush race up her neck to her cheeks, surprised at her own admission. She remembered the night of the snow fall, how close he had been, how he pulled her close after they'd been interrupted, and how he'd blushed as he turned her towards the apartment, grumbling all the way.

"Well, I'd still like for you to come home anyways for the holiday, even if it's just to think about the man," her mother said, breaking the silence. Levy sighed, reluctantly agreeing. They began to make plans, arranging for Levy to take a plane back to her hometown on the 23rd. After making her final goodnight wishes, Levy hung up and tossed the phone on the couch next to her, slightly miffed. She _did_ want to go home, but something insider her was telling her to stay. It ate away at her the rest of the night, preventing her from relaxing enough to sleep. 'Ugggh,' she thought, reaching for the book that would hopefully help her to sleep.

It was around 11:30 when her phone jingled again, startling her. She smiled when she saw the text from Gajeel, tapping her own message and sending it with a little giggle. She then stared at the text, her lips parted as she read the words in his voice; _I want to see you_.

 _Me too_ , was her response. She blushed as she reread her text, realizing something that made her heart race. She was falling for him, and hard. Her phone jingled again, and she eagerly grabbed for it, and smiled warmly.

 _Then let's go out tomorrow night, no buts_.

She giggled, suddenly jittery with excitement for the next date.

…

The snow was coming down thicker than it had that morning, and he had a hell of a time trying to shake it from his hair. 'I'm going to get sick if I don't get a hat soon,' he thought. He shifted his knife bag, looking up into the swirling snow. It looked too dark to be enjoyable, and he sighed. She had to be with her family by now, or at least close.

She had told him the last time they had coffee that she would be leaving the next morning, and would return after Christmas. She'd looked sad, much to his bewilderment. He tried reassuring her that he'd be fine, that he'd too busy to worry about a silly day, and that he was used to it. To his surprise she had hugged him and murmured, "But I don't want you to be lonely."

He sighed, shuffling through the graying snow and passing the glittering shop windows to his job, dreading the crazy dinner service he knew would come in due to the snow. He huffed irritatedly when a something caught his eye in one of the shops. He stopped to get a better look, not quite believing his luck.

It was a little fairy pendant, sparkling on a delicate sliver chain. The fairy had a slim dragon encircling it, pressing its head against the sprite's own. Grinning, he strode into the store, uncaring of how late he'd be to work.

Fifteen minutes later, he had the bauble in his pocket and doubt in his mind. He'd bought it, grinning at the prospect of Levy opening it up. 'Heh,' he thought. 'Maybe it won't be as bad if I give it to her soon.' Then he slowed, remembering that he'd have to wait till after the holiday to give it to her. "Tch, stupid holiday," he grumbled, shrugging his shoulders deeper into his jacket and continued onto work.

…

The next two days had been a blur, and far lonelier than he cared to admit. Though he had been busy at work, it still hadn't helped the feeling of emptiness that crept into the dark hours at home. The box that held the gift sat on his coffee table, teasing him with visions that seemed to mock him more than comfort him. He felt ridiculous, it was occasional that he and Levy hung out anyways, what was so special about Christmas? He glared at it, swigging his beer irritated.

He didn't even have the need to go to work tomorrow anyways, the snow flurries had turned into a snow storm, trapping people at home. Thus, he'd be trapped in the dark apartment, bored out of his mind. He'd texted Levy throughout the days, but he was far busier than her right now, and she was in a different time zone, so she was probably asleep right now. He sighed, sinking further into the couch, the tv blaring shows he wasn't paying attention to.

As the hours ticked on, the more he felt the weight of the silence bear down, and he idly played with his phone, wondering if she would pick up.

 _I miss your face_.

He waited for a bit, then tossed the phone down on the couch disgustedly. 'She's sleeping, dumbass,' he berated himself. Grumbling, he snagged another beer before changing the channel, chugging the beer and willing himself to relax enough to pass out. Finally, drowsiness set in, and he nodded off, the tv still blaring.

…

A sharp rapping on his door woke him abruptly, startling him out of an uneasy sleep. Groaning, he stretched his back, feeling the knots pull at his muscles and revealing the slight kink in his neck. He sighed, regretting sleeping on the couch. The door rapped again, and he growled. 'Who the flying fuck is it now?' he grumbled, unlocking the door and pulling it open and ready to snap at the intruder.

Levy stood there, grinning impishly at him while he stared, jaw dropped in shock. "W-what are you doing here?" he demanded, barely recovering enough to register that she was here. Hang on, was he dreaming? He suddenly punched himself much to Levy's surprised. It hurt for sure, but the warm feeling that was growing in his chest was something that he'd merely dreamt of.

"What are you doing?" she asked, grabbing his hand and touching his face. Her fingers felt warm and real too. He nearly tried punching himself again when she giggled, then wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered, "I got your message last night." She gently squeezed, then released him and grabbed his hands. "Merry Christmas, Gajeel," she said, swinging his arms happily.

He was dumbfounded, yet he couldn't deny that this was a dream anymore as she stood in front of him. He laughed suddenly, then pulled her into a hug, lifting her up till her feet dangled as she squeaked. "I don't get it though," he said. "I thought you were with your family?"

She giggled, mentally noting that he hadn't put her down, and it didn't seem like he'd let go anytime soon. "I didn't make it past the airport, the flight got cancelled," she admitted sheepishly. "So I came home." It was half true, the flight had gotten canceled, but another one had been available. But she had decided to stay, something in her heart telling her that she needed to be here instead.

Gajeel pulled her close again, sighing deeply. The heavy feeling from last night was leaving, replaced with the lightness that he felt whenever she was nearby. Then he set her down, peering at her face. "So, you've been here all this time?" he asked, incredulous that she didn't tell him. She beamed at him, and his heart jumped as she giggled mischievously. "I wanted to surprise you," she said, cocking her head coyly. She held her hand up, finger pointing at him.

"So! You are officially invited to Christmas at my apartment today after work," she declared, looking determined. He stared at her, then laughed, blushing.

"Actually shrimp, I got the day off," he said, grinning at her. She squealed, jumping at him and hugging him, her legs swinging as he caught her again. He could definitely get used to this, he thought, grinning as she giggled in his ear. All of the loneliness that suffocated him the last couple of days blew away as she hugged him one last time, then tapped his shoulder to be let down. He smirked mischievously then, tightening his arms instead.

"What if I don't want to, shrimp?" he teased, leaning towards her. Her face began to glow red, then she narrowed her eyes slyly, then bobbed her head forward, planting her lips on his briefly. "You won't get breakfast then," she whispered as she pulled away. Stunned, he nearly dropped her as his face exploded in red. Laughing, she jumped away and skipped towards the stairwell, calling over her shoulder, "Come to 302b in one hour, Gajeel!"

He stood there for a moment, trying to convince himself that had actually happened. He wasn't still dreaming, was he? Levy had indeed kissed him, right? He grinned widely now, whirling back into his apartment to change. Dream or not, he wasn't going to break the spell this time. His heart was soaring right now, and he barely noticed the dark that was still in the apartment.

Forty minutes later he was walking downstairs, nearly trotting in excitement. He couldn't shower fast enough, and he had a bear of a time trying to brush it before giving up impatiently. On his way out he swiped the present and stuffed it into his pocket, anxious as to what she'd say about it. As he approached the floor she lived on, he slowed down like he had every time he ran down the stairs since they had collided.

His heart began to beat faster as he got closer to her apartment, he never came down to her place, she sometimes hung out at his. But now he'd get to see this inside of her place, and he was nervous as hell about it. He wiped his palms on his sweatshirt, trying to tell himself to stop wussing out. Finally he found it, and stood there for a long minute, debating on going back upstairs or knocking.

He lifted his hand to knock on the door, hesitating for a brief breath of time, and then suddenly the door opened, surprising him. A warm golden light spilled out, and the smell of cinnamon wafted around him, instantly causing him to drool. Levy stood there, grinning ear to ear when she saw him. 'How is she so beautiful?' he thought, lowering his arm embarrassingly and chucking, rubbing the back of his head.

"I'm a bit early, hope you don't mind," he said. Levy smiled, and giggled.

"I'm surprised you didn't come earlier," she countered, inviting him inside, resisting the urge to pull him in herself. She could see that he was nervous, and she'd be lying if she said she wasn't, especially after surprising him with that kiss. She had done it so quickly that she had surprised herself.

She had rushed home after her flight had been cancelled, despite the other available flight. She knew her family would be disappointed, but she wasn't about to regret it. She spent the rest of the two days previous in cleaning and decorating her apartment in preparation. Christmas music was playing softly in the background, and her tree glittered prettily. She had coffee ready and was ready to make cinnamon apple pancakes when she heard footsteps in the hallway, and squeaked when she peeked through the peephole.

Now he was in her apartment, obviously curious but nervous. Laughing she told him to go explore if he wanted to while she made breakfast. He took full advantage of her invitation, wandering around the colorful living room. In front of the balcony stood her Christmas tree, and he grinned when he towered over it by a full foot. He turned to find a decent sized library that framed a decent sized entertainment center, and he was amazed at the number of books piled up on the tables. Christmas decorations popped up in between the stacks. He circled back to her small kitchen, which was homely and cluttered with colorful utensils, but he found himself more in love with this kitchen than any top of the line professional kitchens.

'Maybe it's because of her,' he mused, watching Levy flip the pancakes expertly onto plates. His stomach growled as she spooned the steaming caramelized apples onto the top stack, drooling as she passed him the plate. Laughing, she pushed him to the little table that was hidden another library and set a mug of coffee next to him.

He was halfway finished with his pancakes when Levy joined him with a smaller stack of her own and apples, surprised at how fast he had been eating them. She pouted at first, then found herself having to defend her plate from his wandering fork after he finished and began to sneak his fork over to her food.

"Hey! I'm eating this," she protested as he managed to snag an apple off her plate and pop it into his mouth, laughing at her indignant huffing. They both reached for the last apple, Gajeel reaching it first and stuffed it into his mouth as she jumped up and dove for him. He nearly choked on it when she kissed him again, huffing in disappointment when she pulled back. "Damn," she said. "That was the last apple too.

He grinned suddenly, and grabbed her close, pulling her into his lap. She squeaked, but didn't pull away, instead gripping his shirt as he chuckled.

"Oi, shrimp, if you wanted a taste so bad," he growled playfully, smirking at her surprised blush. "Then maybe you should ask for one." He lifted his hand to her cheek, pulling her closer and kissed her, feeling her stiffen in surprise. Then she sighed, melting against him and kissed him back, sliding her hands up his chest to his neck. 'This is heaven,' he thought, deepening the kiss as he stroked her back, rubbing a small circle in the small over her back. She moaned, breaking off the kiss and gasped, leaning her forehead against his studded chin.

"W-whoa," she breathed, seeing stars, and wrapped her arms around him. He laughed quietly, kissing her eyebrows. "Whoa, indeed," he chuckled, leaning forward to snag another piece of her pancakes.

"HEY!" she cried, lurching forward to snap the morsel off his fork. She grinned in satisfaction as she chomped in victory, only to find herself being leaned back and Gajeel's lips on hers again. She squeaked as she felt his tongue flick across her lips, tasting the syrup and the softness of her lips. She relaxed as he groaned into her mouth, becoming complete putty in his arms. 'Dear god,' she thought as his tongue slipped past her lips, lightly flicking the inside her mouth. She felt so hot, she almost couldn't breathe. She panted heavily as he pulled back, gasping in his own air.

"You ok shrimp?" he asked, smiling at her. She was completely red, dazed and looked as if she had run a marathon. But the way she looked at him stirred something deep in him, and he couldn't look away from her.

"H-how did you do that?" she panted, raking a hand through her hair. She was recovering now, gripping his shoulder for support. He laughed, smooching her lips again, hugging her close. Then he winked mischievously at her then said, "Secret, shrimp."

She sighed, leaning against him as he gathered her up in his arms, kissing the top of her head. The last kiss had left her breathless, and she wanted more. She glanced up at him, then giggled embarrassedly as she nuzzled into his neck. "Maybe," she murmured. "You can teach me that secret?"

He chuckled, hugging her close again. "I will, but first," he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the small box. Levy's eyes grew wide, and she clung to him as he set it down. She started when he kissed her shoulder, then jumped out his lap suddenly. Confused, Gajeel felt a stab of uncertainty in his chest as she rushed to the living room.

She came back, skipping and held a rectangular box wrapped in red and gold paper. Grinning, she plopped herself back into his lap. The doubt that had briefly occupied his heart was rapidly replaced with wonder as she presented it to him.

"Heh, you can't swap gifts if you're the only one giving," she giggled and kissed his cheek. He stared at it, bewildered. He hadn't expected her to give him anything at all. He tore the paper with a growing sense of anticipation he hadn't felt since he was a kid. As he opened the box his fingers brushed a soft material, and he held it out in front of them. It was a knitted scarf, with a red strip down the middle. Levy squirmed a bit in his lap, nervous. He smiled, hugging her gently.

"I'm guessing you made this?" he asked, smiling when she had squeaked in surprise. She giggled, then nodded proudly. Gajeel very much wanted to kiss her again, but held back till she was able to open her gift. He snagged it off the table, and placed in her hands.

She giggled again, nervous this time. She was sure it was some sort of jewelry, and she had been taken by surprise. She stilled when she slipped the top of the box off, revealing the pendant. Gajeel waited, unsure what she was thinking. Then, she leaned into him, clutching the box to her chest. She looked up at him now, a warm smile. "It's beautiful, Gajeel," she breathed. She took the pendant out of and began to slip the ends behind her neck. He reached for her hands then, taking the chain ends from her and fastening the necklace for her, kissing the skin the chain connected over.

She shivered, blushing at the contact. She could feel the warmth as he breathed over her skin, gasping when he licked her, then jumping when he nipped her, pain flashing across the sensitive skin. She squeaked, turning to face him indignantly, clapping a hand over the damp area. "Did you bite me?" she asked, incredulous. He laughed, then nipped at her nose.

"I didn't bite you, I gave you what's called a love bite," he said, grinning at her flinching. "Are you mad?" he asked, kissing her cheek. She smiled, her arms slipping around his neck, and he looked at her face.

"I'm not mad," she whispered. She ducked her head, bashful. "Not when I love you."

Gajeel froze, stunned. He wasn't sure how to respond, but she was kissing him again, warm and real and glowing as the sun that lit up the kitchen behind her. He remembered the glittering snow, the moments when he couldn't think of anybody but her. The realization hit him so hard he gasped. The feeling he'd felt when she danced in her first snow, the necklace, even when she showed up on his doorstep that very morning. Those moments were the results of the many coffee dates that ultimately started when he tripped over her.

He loved her. Now that he had the word for it, it clicked completely into place, and he kissed her back just as intensively, holding her close. A thought crossed his mind, and he regretfully pulled away from her, grinning at her pouting lips.

"Levy," he began, his voice husky. "Let's become official."

She giggled, and kissed his chin. "Bout time, boyfriend."


End file.
